At the Edge of an Ocean
by Firien Inuyasha
Summary: Hector's life is spared by Achilles, who sails away from Troy, without Briseis. Now, they will meet again, 2 years later... 1 of 4 sequels for A Ripple on the Surface. Told from 6 points of view of love, forgiveness, war, passion, honour and immortality.
1. A Handful of Soul

**Disclaimer: **I wish I could own Eric Bana… or Brad Pitt… sigh.

**Language Note/Summary: **It is highly suggested that you read my fic A Ripple on the Surface  before reading this story (and leave a review while you're at it). Anyway, Achilles regrets his earlier actions towards Briseis, and goes to search for her… only to find that she has disappeared; gone off to Troy. Achilles goes off to battle the next day, but doesn't reach Hector, or at least might not want to. He's busy looking for his special someone… but doesn't see her. Meanwhile, Briseis is revealing all to Helen and Andromache, suffering some hatred, getting some love. HECTOR DOES NOT DIE IN THIS FIC. Obviously, I am a big Bana fan (a Banatic), and I didn't like him dying. Achilles' opinion is first, then Briseis'. I think that Hector and Andromache's is going to be next. The quote by John Keats (great guy, translated the Iliad, great books), is said by Achilles in the story, but I've changed it a little.

**Announcements: **Just **REVIEW!!!!!**

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A Handful of Soul

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"I cannot exist without you. I am forgetful of everything but seeing you again. My life seems to stop there, I see no further. You have absorbed me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I were dissolving. I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for religion... I have shuddered at it... I shudder no more. I could be martyred for my religion: Love is my religion. I could die for that. I could die for you. My creed is love, and you are its only tenant. You have ravished me away by a power I cannot resist."-John Keats

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I watched as Patroclus' funeral pyre went up burning. Red, orange, and yellow of flames, grey of the smoke which curled up into the air. _Because of Hector. _I wanted revenge. And I was going to get it.

----

It was dark as Hades when I crept inside Troy. All of a sudden, the air smelled different. It smelled of home. _I am home! _Quickly, I rushed up the steps of the royal palace, only to be met by two gaurds.

"Who goes there?" they cried. _The voices of my people!_

"Briseis, cousin to Lord Hector, Priestess to Apollo," I answered in a quavering voice. _What if they did not believe me?_ There was a long silence.

"Briseis?" asked someone uncertainly. I knew that voice… _Paris?_

"Paris?" My cousin ran down the steps and gasped.

"We all thought you were dead! The Greeks…" his voice faded off. "Quickly, everone else is inside. We've all been so worried… Hector will be glad to know that you are safe."

----

I could not find her. When I returned to my tent, I expected to find Briseis, sitting there. But she was not there. My earlier actions towards Briseis were rash. And foolish. How was I to claim that I loved her by striking her? How could I have been so blind?

Eurodonus and the other Myrmidons did not speak as I walked over the sand dunes to look for her. But she was not there. She was not in my tent. She was not in the Greek camp. But I knew where she was: in Troy.

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"Briseis!" Hector's arms crushed mine to my side as he embraced me. He kissed my forehead before Andromache came to me, tears streaming down her cheeks, and kissed me too.

"Come, Briseis," mumured Andromache softly, taking my arm as if I was a child. "I'll speak to you privately…"

"The Greeks had her," I hear Paris whispering to Hector. "Who knows what they did to her?"

I thought of Achilles. Although I was here, I felt as if he still had a grasp on my heart, tugging me back. He had not only a claim on my hear, he had a handful of me; a handful of soul. Yes, I needed to speak with Andromache. She would understand.

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So, what do you think? I know this chapter was short, but I didn't want to reveal too much too soon. **REVIEW!!! And read A RIPPLE ON THE SURFACE!!!**


	2. Dreams of Iris

**Disclaimer: **Troy is property of Warner Brothers. I wish I could own Eric Bana… he could live in my closet… I think…

**Reviews REVIEW: **Thanks for the reviews, guys!!! Please continue sending your comments! :-) I must admit I didn't like last chapter a lot… and it was kinda short.

**Language Note/Summary: **Achilles is fighting on the plains of Troy looking for Briseis, who has decided not to go onto the walls, and is instead revealing all to Andromache. However, Helen is a little edgy towards Briseis, for obvious reasons. Achilles' PoV is first, then Briseis', then Andromache, and then Briseis again, with a little dream sequence. Andromache begins to understand Briseis' situation, and Briseis and Achilles are beginning to really regret their actions. I realise that I didn't have much of the character's thoughts last chapter; I have more this time. The quote is from the chapter before, since Achilles didn't say it in last chapter, but he does in this chapter.

**Announcements: **Just **REVIEW!!! **Oh, I have Chapter 11 of **A Ripple on the Surface** up!!! It's Hector and Andromache.

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Dreams of Iris

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"I cannot exist without you. I am forgetful of everything but seeing you again. My life seems to stop there, I see no further. You have absorbed me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I were dissolving. I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for religion... I have shuddered at it... I shudder no more. I could be martyred for my religion: love is my religion. I could die for that. I could die for you. My creed is love, and you are its only tenant. You have ravished me away by a power I cannot resist."-John Keats

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The other Greeks eyed me with respect and fear, also. _What reason is there for them not to be? _I had apologised to Eurdonus. _If only I could do the same to Briseis. _

The armour that I wore felt heavy and suffocating. _Heavy? When did my armour become heavy? _Patroclus had worn it two days before. He had died because he wore it. Because I did not fight, he had pretended to be me. And Hector had killed him. I did not realise that I was squeezing my spear until I looked down to see my knuckes, as white as ivory.

It felt the same as I entered the battle-field. It did not feel the same once I began to cut down men.

I could spot Hector on my left. He was hacking away at the Greeks on that side. Odysseus was pressing toward him, but not nearing. _Because they know that _I_ want to kill him. But do I?_ Agamemnon was pushing his men, near the center, towards the Trojan flanks, although it seemed to me that if he did that for long, there would be no men of his left. My thoughts were cut short when a Trojan sword clipped my forearm. Blood oozed out of the small wound. But it was a wound all the same. The only blood on me should be the blood of others, the blood of the enemy, not _my_ blood. The Trojan did not live long after that.

Briseis was probably on the walls. She would be watching the battle. She would be watching me. She would be watching me kill her brothers and cousins. _What will she think of me?_ Yet as I looked up and scanned the ramparts, there was no priestess with long, brown locks. There were no witty eyes. There were only eyes watching in fear. By returning to the war, I had increased the morale of the men, and the Trojans' morale was dramatically reduced. _You have good reason to fear. _

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When the battle started the next morning, I did not go to watch it. Helen did, but Andromache stayed behind to speak with me. I had asked her to stay. An I told her everything, every little detail. From the slaughter at the temple, to Achilles' first words to me, to the things I had said to him in Agamemnon's tent, to when he first kissed me, and everything after, before, and in-between. _I want to tell her all of these thoughts inside of me. I want someone to _know_. I want to let all of these confusing feelings out. _All the while, she sat there in her soft green robe, listening. Astyanax was asleep in his cradle.

There was a long silence before she spoke. "Do you regret anything that happened?"

"No… yes. Yes, I do. I regret ever loving him. He doesn't want me."

"He treated you well. You slept with him. He hasn't come to the gates demanding you back, has he?"

"No yet," I murmured. She laughed softly.

"Well, we shall know if he loves you or not by the end of today. Forgive me, I must hurry to the walls. Hector-" she began. But I cut her off.

"No, Andromache, I understand. I need some time to think by myself."

And I did. What did she mean by "We shall know if he loves you or not by the end of today?"

----

She looked lost. Torn from her duty to her country, to her love. She might deny it, but Briseis loved Achilles. I doubted that he loved her. _How could he? _He cared for no one other than himself, Patroclus, and maybe his mother. But Patroclus was dead, his mother, the sea-goddess Thetis was in Pythia, probably worrying herself to death over her son… and there was no one else left. _How can a monster like him, one who kills for pleasure, love a woman? How can he love Briseis the way that I love Hector? _

But I was not going to be ignorant. At the end of this battle, we would know. If he killed… if he killed Hector, he would care nothing for Briseis. If he cared for her, if he truly loved her, his love would overpower his thirst for revenge and his hatred.

_Hector. _I could hear voices calling his name inside my head. _Hector. _I remembered his words from the night before; that if Troy fell, I was to take Astyanax and as many others that I could and flee through the secret tunnel, and run. He had told me this because he thought that Achilles would kill him today.

I had expected Achilles to call for Hector in single combat; but this was not so. Watching from the walls, looking to the dreadful battle below, I expected to see Achilles somewhere near Hector, if not already fighting him; but his was not so. Instead, Achilles was looking and glancing at the walls at every possible moment. _Mother of Zeus, he's looking for Briseis! _

I thought that I would faint. But I didn't. I made a quick descision. I turned around, and ran to the royal palace, trying not to trip on my robes. If the man-killer wanted to see Briseis, well, I would let him. We would see what his reaction is. And then, Briseis could decide for herself: if he loved her or not.

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The floor was a rich carpet of green grass, each blade perfect. Through the treetops sunlight streamed down. It seemed to be raining flower petals, and strewn across the earth were iris flowers. The scent of the forest ran through my nostrils. _This place is beautiful… is it Aphrodite's glade?_

"Briseis?" asked a cautious voice.

I recognised that voice. _Achilles! _I turned around to meet him. He was dressed in his soft blue tunic. But his hair was no longer in strands; someone had ran a comb through it. Suddenly, I felt a pang of envy and jealousy. Why had I not been the one to comb his hair?

"Briseis, I cannot exist without you. I am forgetful of everything but seeing you again. My life seems to stop there, I see no further. You have absorbed me."

I was surprised by these words.

"I have a sensation at the present moment as though I were dissolving. I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for religion... I have shuddered at it... I shudder no more. I could be martyred for my religion: love is my religion. I could die for that. I could die for you. My creed is love, and you are its only tenant. You have ravished me away by a power I cannot resist. I just wanted to say that to you, Briseis."

I reached out to touch him- but my hand passed through.

He seemed to drift away from me, his features fading, away, away, away… into nothing. And then, I was alone. There was no Achilles here in this forest. I was alone. And then, I woke up.

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	3. Tugging my Heart Out

To **OrliNKeira: **There isn't a real Achilles and Briseis sequel; all of my stories are told from 6 points of view. :-)

**Disclaimer: **Aye. The quote is from this one band (who I have never heard of), but I thought that it would fit the mood.

**Reviews REVIEW: **Thanx for all of you **GREAT** reviews!!!! Keep 'em coming!!!!!!

**Chapter Note/Summary: **This chapter first begins with Hector's opinion from the battle-field. This is also the first chapter where I have a Hector dream sequence, which I end this chapter with. Then, it goes back to Briseis, who has woken from her dream sequence. She meets Andromache, and listens to her idea, and the two go to the walls and see Achilles' reaction. The story then goes to Achilles' PoV, then Andromache's, both really short, 'cause I didn't really want to focus on them in this chapter. Helen has been watching, and you get her first PoV of the story. Now, you get to see some character feeling change; now, she feels some resentment towards Briseis, and a little jealousy. I mean, come on, wouldn't Diane Kruger think that Brad is hott like the rest of us??? (Actually, I think that she said that both Brad and Eric were hot… I do agree). Obviously, it is Achilles saying the quote.

**Announcements: **please **REVIEW**,and tell me if you have a copy of the **SCRIPT.**

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Tugging my Heart Out

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Oh, she left her kiss upon my lips  
But left that break within my heart  
Have you seen her?   
Tell me, have you seen her?"-Have You Seen Her?  
Chi-Lites

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The Greeks had never been this ferocious. They were lions, all of them, and their king, not Agamemnon; Achilles. The sun flashed off of his armour, blinding men, it seemed. The crest on his helmet bobbed up and down vigorously. He was hewing Trojan heads with ease, cutting their necks like dandelion stems. __

_ This man was born to kill._

Last night, I had shown Andromache the secret way out of Troy. I was sure that Achilles would have ridden to the gates of Troy this morning, and demand that I meet him in single combat. If I would have fought with him, I would have died. If I died, Troy would die.

_"All of my life I have lived by a code, and the code is simple: honor the gods, love your woman and defend your country. Troy is mother to us all. Fight for her!"_

I remembered what I had said to the lords and priests of the city two days ago. "They under-estimated us; lets not return the favour."

But I had obeyed the orders of my father, my king. And so I had killed the man who was Achilles' cousin… but he was not a man, he was only a boy. _So young. With all of his life spread out before his feet. _When Paris was this old, I had protected him with my life. I knew that Achilles would have protected Patroclus, if he had been there.

Some men said that Achilles was in love with Patroclus. But I knew the truth. He love Patroclus, yes, but he loved him as I loved Paris. If a man killed Paris, I would have killed that man. So I expected the same.

But there was no Achilles at the gates this morning.

Now, I could see him. I expected to see him charging towards me. I expected to see a spear protruding from my chest. There was protruding spear; there was no golden son of Peleus charging towards me. He was not even looking in my direction.

Suddenly, I saw his head turn up. I could almost see the grief on his face emerge. Some kind of regret. _Is he remembering Patroclus? _But there was something strange about his look. He seemed to be looking at someone. I retreated a bit into the Trojan lines, and looked up behind me.

Wind whipping through brown locks. A soft, green robe with gold trimming. A necklace with seashells.

_Oh! Zeus, it is Briseis his is staring at! Why…? Good lord, I know now…_

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And then, I woke up. I was sweating. I was panting. There was a weight on my chest, pulling my heart by an invisible string. _Achilles! _I wanted him, right now, here.

I noticed the coverlets were blue. _The blue like his eyes._ _Ai! how can I live like this?_

In the hallway, the soft pitter-patter of footsteps echoed outside my door. Then a knock.

"Briseis?" asked an un-sure voice. _Andromache. _

"Come in."

She sat down on the edge of my bed. "How are you? Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. I had some dreams, but… I slept well."

"Briseis, I- I need a favour."

"And…" _It has something to do with Achilles. I know it._

"Would you come to the walls with me? I-"

"Achilles is out there fighting, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"I'll come." _I need to see him. I must._

As I passed in the halls, others moved aside. Servants, ladies… they looked at me with pity. _Don't feel sorry for me. Feel sorry for _him. _Feel sorry for _us.

Andromache led me by the hand to the wall, and when we got there people parted again. The cobblestones were cold beneath by feet. The wind was cold. Even the sun felt cold. Then, as I swept my eyes over the scene, I saw a shaft of sunlight. He was fighting, he was killing my brothers. He was more handsome than he had ever been., though it seemed to me as if there were lines on his forehead and under his eyes which had never been there. _For Patroclus. For me? _I hoped it was for me, also. I wanted him to miss me.

As if he could feel my presence, he looked up. The string tugged my heart out.

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A string was tugging at my heart, all the day before, all night. I could not sleep. I could not eat. I could not breathe. I could not _live._ Without Patroclus, I _felt_ dead. But without Briseis, I _was _dead.

Even as I cut down men, I was dead. The string was tugging. When I saw her sweet face, those strands of dark hair swirling around her face, my heart popped out. I could smell her. I could feel her.

_Briseis, why did you leave? Why did I make you leave? Why can't everything be the way it was?_

_"Men are wretched things."_ I had said that once. I still believed it to be correct.

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I saw the expression one her face and his. It was surprise. Regret. Love. I loved Hector. I knew how to love. I understood why they loved. I was sure that Hector would understand. But would Troy understand? Would they hate her like they hated him?

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_How could she? How could she betray me like this? How could she betray Troy? _I did not understand. She said she loved me, her country, Paris. But how could she love _him_? That dreaded cursed son of a sea-nymph and a warrior king. But then they were all warriors, weren't they? Even Agamemnon fought.

Paris war still nursing his wounded pride. I loved him dearly. But he was still a little ashamed of himself. I was a little ashamed of him, also. All of Troy was ashamed. But they were proud of Hector. We needed Hector. And when he had returned from the morning raid, he broke the news.

"Patroclus." One word. It seemed so simple. "Patroclus." But it meant doom. It meant death for him and for Troy.

There are many words in the world. Love. That is one word. Honour. Passion. Loyalty. They are all words, yet they hold so much meaning. Immortality. That is a word also. Immortality is what Achilles wants. He doesn't want to only be the conqueror of Troy; he wants to be the one who kills Hector, prince of Troy. Husband. Father. Brother.

_Why do the Gods curse us? Why do they give us happiness, only for it to be a curse? _

I must say that when I was young, when my parents were still hunting for a husband, I had been told of all of the great Greek heroes. There voices seemed to drone on and on forever… then my father spoke of Achilles.

"The greatest warrior the world has ever seen… the world will ever see."

Being a princess of an important city, I knew of all the rumours of his looks, his skills, his past. All the girls giggled about him. Gossiped about him. And who to fall in love but Briseis. The priestess. The girl who swore to be a virgin.

I saw the way they looked at each other. _Achilles' lover. The lover of an enemy. _

_I hate her._

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	4. When We are Two

**Disclaimer: **Warner Brothers rocks!!!!

**Reviews REVIEW: **OMG!!!!! Sooooooo many reviews thanks guys!!!!!

**Language Note/Summary: **I realise that there was some confusion about the last chapter as to who's PoV was last. I always tell who's opinion it is in the Language Note/Summary. It was Helen speaking. Sorry for any confusion. Anyway, in this chapter you get Achilles first, then Hector, then Andromache, then Briseis. And the quote is obviously said by Odysseus in the movie (and it makes a lot of sense). The poem is spoken from either Briseis' or Achilles' view. This is a really short chapter, because I'm focusing on the next one.

**Announcements: **Please **REVIEW** and tell me if you have a copy of the **SCRIPT.**

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When We Are Two

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"War is young men dying and old men talking. Ignore the politics."

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Soft whispers of promised devotion  
haunt me in the quiet of this night.  
I am alone.  
In my bed of leaves and loneliness I lie  
all by myself.  
I dream of soft whispers,  
of a promise not yet kept.  
a promise I wanted you to make  
a promise that you made.  
Deny thy people and take my name, you said.  
Run with me to a place untouched  
in my heart, sleeping in my soul.   
I reach out my hand  
and you're not there.  
Can you feel me in this hour,  
in this hour of dimming desire?   
Yet in the quiet of night I can hear you,  
I can feel you.  
Breathing.   
Into me.

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There was a face staring back at me. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. High cheekbones. Firm jaw. It was me. My face. _Is this who I am? _My mother's words came back to me.

"Your glory walks hand in hand with your doom."

Am I to die in this war? For what? For who? Agamemnon? Menelaus, a man who can't even keep his own wife in the bedroom, and is now sulking in Hades? I came here for glory. Fame. I wanted immortality. I found love. Peace.

_Is that what I want?_ No. I want Briseis' love. _But you can't have it. _Yes, but I can save her. I can save her and Troy. I can live knowing that she will be safe and with the ones she loves. I can live in peace.

And there was only one thing that I could do. _Leave._

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Andromache told me everything. I had always suspected how Briseis could have escaped to Troy so easily. Now I knew why. Because Achilles didn't chain her to him. Because he loved her.

_Fall in love with Briseis? A priestess of Troy, a niece of Priam? _I could not believe that he could love someone other than Patroclus and noble Thetis. But a cousin of Troy? _My _cousin?

But I had seen the look that had gone between them. It was a look of love. He looked at her the way that I had looked at Andromache when we first met. Of course, _she_ had not been so eager to marry me. But differences were sorted out quickly and now she was my world.

I had spoken to her extensively of my death. And here I was, whole and safe in Troy. Troy was safe, now.

But what would Achilles do tomorrow? Would he come to battle and knock down our gates? Or would he not come to battle and sail away from our shores. For the sake of Troy, I hoped so. For the sake of Briseis, I was not sure.

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Hector was breathless when he came through the gates. He was still breathless when I told him of the earlier events.

"I know," he said wearily. "I saw."

When Briseis returned to her chambers, she broke down and wept. _Poor thing. the mysterious ways in which the Gods work. Why do they punish innocent children like her?_

I left her alone… it seemed that she needed to think everything through, understand what was happening. But I do not think that she needs to think about it. She knows perfectly well what is happening. That is what I fear. If Achilles dies, or leaves, or conquers Troy and gives her to another man, she will die of grief. And if she does not die, she will be dead anyways.

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I feel so different, now. I know that I am protected. But only a few days ago I was protected by an enemy. A lover. Now, I am protected by family and friends. My country-men. I feel so different, now. I feel as if part of me is still there, in his tent on the sandy shores. I feel that I am two.

Did he see me? Did he recongnise me? _Of course he did. _Does he still love me? _You could see it on his face. _Do I love him? _Of course I do. _I was happy, even for all my tears. He knew who I was. He knew who _he _was. But what would he do tomorrow? Would he remember himself tomorrow?

I fear the sunset. I fear the sunrise even more.

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	5. Winds of Change

**I apologize for taking so long to write this! Sorry!!! And I LOVE the quote (even though it's kinda long).**

**Disclaimer: **Warner Brothers owns everything and the quote is by The Calling and is kinda used in the story.

**Language Note/Summary: **This is definitely my GREATEST CHAPTER YET!!! The story starts off with Paris who expresses some sympathy for Briseis. Helen is still a jealous bitch. The opinions then goes to Achilles who does the unexpected (though you might have already guessed this). Also, his opinion is where you see where the title of the story came from (although I'm going to have it occur a lot). We have Briseis' opinion, Achilles' opinion again, then Hector's opinion (where he brings the news to Andromache), and then of course Andromache's opinion (where she brings the news to Briseis) So… _hoo-ah!_

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Winds of Change

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"So lately, I've been wondering,

who will be there to take my place.

When I'm gone you'll need love to light the shadow on your face,

if a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all,

then between the sand and stone, could you make it on your own?

If I could then I would,

I'll go wherever you will go.

Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go.

And maybe I'll find out

a way to make it back someday

to watch you, to guide you, through the darkest of your days.

If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all

then I hope there's someone out there

who can bring me back to you.

Run away with my heart;

run away with my hope;

run away with my love.

I know now just quite how

my life and love may still go on

in your heart, in your mind, I'll stay with you for all of time."

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I saw her yesterday. She was staring at the mirror in her room. She looked as if she didn't know who she was.

_Does she?_

"Do you love him?" I asked suddenly, before I could stop myself. He head jerked up in surprise but didn't look at me.

"Do you love Helen?"

"I asked you first." I soon regretted those words. _Don't act like you're being hostile._

"Yes, I love him just as much as he loves me."

"I love Helen in the same way."

_Oh! Briseis. You are in love aren't you? You're made in love just like I am. I just hope that your heart won't be broken by that mankiller._ I turned around, thinking that there was not anything else to say, and walked down the marble hallway. Now, all of a sudden, I did not hate Achilles.

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My sister, Clytemnestra, once whispered to me about a warrior who was invincible and whom her husband, high king Agamemnon, hated.

"He has eyes bluer than the summer skies and hair more golden than that finely- crafted diadem on your head. And he is the greatest warrior the world will ever see."

At first I had just murmured: "Mm-hmm." It was probably just the ordinary royal gossip.

"Achilles, son of Peleus. He's said to be the daughter of a goddess, Thetis. Agamemnon has called for him to conquer those other countries… I forget what they're called."

"And why would Agamemnon hate him if-"

Clytemnestra cut me off. "Because Achilles listens to no one, and will not even admit that Agamemnon is his king or superior. Though I must admit that he is a far greater warrior."

"Even than Ajax son of Telamon of Salamis?"

"Even he. Like I said, Achilles of the Myrmidons is the greatest warrior the world has ever seen or will ever see. And the most handsome."

Now, I completely believe her. Now, I wish I had been married to him.

----

It is the only way. I told Eudoros this morning to tell the men to pack up, that we were sailing at the break of dawn. For home. To Pthia. _My mother will be waiting._

Briseis was right. I had achieved glory. I would forever be sung in the songs of the bards and live for eternity. Now, I was immortal.

I had gained wealth in this war. Certainly I would have more if Troy fell, but I had taken twenty-three cities; twelve by land, eleven by sea.

I stood at the edge of an ocean. Silence. A gull. A wave of a wave and the music of dolphins. I am not a man of poetry. Now, perhaps, it was proper. The silence was soon broken by a ruckus in the camp. _They must have told the leaders that I am leaving. _I sighed inwardly.

I had thought about it, a lot. If I killed Hector, Briseis would hate me for sure. I would avenge Patroclus' death but… what was said was already said. We would sail this morning, and even now I could see the sun rising from behind the edge of the world. Dawn spread it's rosy wings and greeted me. I did not greet it happily nor angrily. In-between.

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For the seventh time, I laid in bed by myself. I missed Achilles. I missed everything about him; that touch, that scent, those dimples which would appear when he smiled. _Why do the Gods punish us like this?_ I cried out silently. _Why did they give me such happiness, only to take it away again? _

When I was with him, I felt like I was running away with him. With his heart, his hope, his love. Now, I felt alone. _I will go wherever you will go. _He already owned me. I had given my soul and heart to him, not to mention by body. I felt my cheeks flush even though no one was there. Even though no one could see me or hear me. Or touch me.

_Achilles, where are you right now?_

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The air tasted salty on the tip of my tongue. Eudoros and the other men were silent. They knew why I had left. Odysseus had been surprised. I remember when he had come for me.

"We need you. Greece needs you." Odysseus son of Laertes was indeed the greatest teller of tales and spinner of words I had ever met.

"Greece got along fine before I was born. And Greece will remain Greece long after I'm gone."

And I had left in search of fame.

"Then fight for me. My wife will feel much better knowing you're riding beside me. _I'll_ feel much better."

The wind of the sea blew through my hair. I walked to the other end of the ship and looked back at the beach, where Greeks were standing and staring in disbelief. Where Troy stood tall and proud in the sun.

_Forgive me, Briseis. But I will come for you someday. _

----

I rushed into the breezy, spacious room where Andromache was sitting chatting and sewing with the other women.

"He's gone," I blurted out breathlessly. Andromache and the others just stared.

"Achilles, he left with his Myrmidons… he's gone!" _By the will of the Gods, he's gone!_

The entire room exploded in cheers. Andromache ran towards me into my opened arms. _Troy will win this war._

----

_I must go tell Briseis. _Hector had frowned when I told him this, but he had nodded and went off to find Astyanax who was with his nurse.

Just before I opened the door to her room, I straightened my hair and ran my hands down the front of my gown. _Poor girl. What will she think?_

Slipping in quietly, so quietly that she did not even notice, I whispered in a mouse voice, "Briseis?"

"Hmm?"

"I-I have something to tell you."

"Yes?" she asked, looking at me with those beautiful eyes. _Achilles has left._

"Achilles… he sailed away this morning. He just left."

For a few moments she sat stony, un-comprehending. Then something clicked.

"He left?" All I could do was nod. _Do something! _I went forward and hugged her. She laid her head against my shoulder and did not say a word. But my shoulder was soon wet. I found myself weeping as well.

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The end?????

I would just like to thank everyone for their tremendous support through the making of this story, and also my other fic (though not yet completed), A Ripple on the Surface.

REVIEW!!! Tell me what you think an if I should write another chapter, 'cause this seems like a good ending. So go on and push that "GO" button right there. And while you're at it, why not review A Ripple on the Surface too?!!! I'm going to update that story soon, don't worry!


	6. Forgotten?

I've had all these ideas for this sixth chapter but for some reason I couldn't type it up. Not writer's block, just… something else. Sorry!!! I't been hard trying to get all my ideas down and stuff.

**Disclaimer: **Warner Brothers and a lady named Lynda Barry.

**Language Note/Summary: **Like the last chapter, you again will see the words, "At the Edge of an Ocean". The first opinion is Briseis', I cried a little when it was written. Then it's Andromache's, which is really short (Astyanax is about three now). Then it's Helen, who has changed her jealous-bitch ways, and is now very supportive of Briseis. She also has a daughter now, Hermione (not the one from Harry Potter… I don't like HP). I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS!!!

**Announcements: **PLEASE read the NOTE at the end and REVIEW!!!

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Forgotten?  
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"If it is your time, love will track you down like a cruise missle."-Lynda Barry

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Astyanax's gleeful giggles echoed through the corridors. Hector chuckled.

"Hector, be careful. What if Astyanax falls?" asked Andromache in a concerned tone.

"I won't let him go. Right, Astyanax?"

"Yes!"

I smiled. It has been two years since the end of the war between Troy and Greece. Agamemnon declared a truce. Both nations agreed to never fight again. Only a few weeks after, he made war against the Leleges. He led the coalition, but Achilles was the one who really led the army.

The others tried not to mention him or anything that might relate to him when I was around. They never critisized anything that I did. They never critisized anything that I had done. Helen had a daughter now,. Paris was much better with his sword. Life would seem perfect to an outsider.

But it wasn't. There was something missing. To me, at least. The Gods work in strange ways.

"Briseis!" Hector's voice cut to me. I smiled and held out my arms for Astyanax.

"Brisisis!" he called, running up to me. _it's hard to imagine that one day he will grow up to be a warrior. _

I noticed Andromache looking strangely at Hector. He shook his head slightly. _What is it that they do not want to tell me?_

----

Briseis had obviously not yet heard about the feast. As a celebration of our "newfound brotherhood", Priam had planned a feast, and invited all of the Greek leaders who had gone to war against us. That included Achilles.

He said yes.

It was in a day or two. I had wanted Hector to tell Briseis but he had thought that we had best break the news to her at supper. I did not disagree.

She was no longer a child, (she been through what most old women never had), and had matured a lot. It hurt her whenever we mentioned Achilles' name, so we took care not to talk about him. Most of the women in Troy accepted her, though there were some who still treated her warily.

It was hard for her, I knew. To love a man who many hated and detested, to love a man who had left you… but he did save all of us. She did as well. I sighed inwardly. The sevants came in to serve dinner; I had no appetite.

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"Briseis," said Andromache softly, "we are inviting all of the Greek leaders to a feast and-". Briseis cut her off.

"I heard." No one else spoke. I glanced at Paris. _Uh-oh_.

"I'm fine with it," she continued. "You don't have to be worried about me. I'm fine now, I'll be fine then."

"Briseis-," I tried

"He's probably forgotten about me anyway."

Some who had been eating stopped. Hermoine tugged on my skirt, but I was too focused on what was unfolding before me.

_ He hasn't forgotten you! _I wanted to scream. _He can't! And if he has, then I'll kill 'im_. I'm joking of course.

Clytemnestra had told me once that warriors where passionate men, on every aspect of life. I just refused to believe that a warrior like Achilles could just _forget_ about Briseis. After all, she was a daughter of an enemy when they fell in love. He had to have _really _liked her to love her.

"Briseis-," I tried again, but my efforts were fruitless. She got up from her seat and left. A few moments later, a messenger rushed in, breathless.

"The Greeks… they're here."

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What do you think??!! I dunno, I might to get… a little evil. Firien grins evily Hehe. **SO REVIEW!!!**

**NOTES:**

** 1) On Thank-You's…: **I would like to thank everyone for their support. I couldn't have made it this far without you. The reason why I started writing again was because I was reading through the reviews and realised how much some people wanted me to continue (I was really considering calling the last chapter "The End").

** 2) On my other fic…: **I updated my other fic A Ripple on the Surface. Well, okay, there's no new chapter, but I edited and re-formatted all the previous stuff, so go check it out and tell me what you think (ie. read it and leave a review). And if I were you, I'd have some Kleenex at home 'cause the chapter where Hecty dies is _really, really _sad. The next chapter will probably be sadder… and the last one even sadder… I've also updated my info on the sequel stuff, so check that out too.

** 3) On being a nice person…:** As a thing to everyone, remember that was invented so that people could unleash their creativity without fear of having others say mean things to them. It's all right to citisize and/or correct authors, (that's how they improve their writing), but leaving comments like "This sucks" or "Why are you writing this?" is very cruel and in-appropriate. Anything which includes swearing in a negative way towards the author is also in-appropriate. You could have your account deleted for this. I read this other fic which has a Achilles/Andromache pairing which has received some really, really cruel, mean comments. And whoever did that should apologize (I've already told another person about their hurting comments and they have agreed to apologize). So just be warry, okay??? Thanks guys, I know this is a really long note.

** 4) **And to **PotterFrEaKz44-50**: ignore that bitch. _I_ loved your poem, (and are you guys sisters or something???). Don't let people like that stop you from posting your stories, kay?


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